Definition

The quality of being reliable; loyal and staunch in one's beliefs; worthy of another's confidence

Literacy

1. Pinky Promise by Vanita Braver

2. A Bargain for Francis by Lillian Hoban

3. Big Al by Andrew Clements Yoshi

4. Horton Hears a Who and Horton Hatches an Egg by Dr. Seuss

5. Charlotte's Web by EB White

6. Secret Place by Eve Bunting and Ted Rand

7. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Materials Needed

1. The song, Trustworthiness, from Red Grammer's recording, Bebop Your Best

2. 16 coffee cans with labels wrapped around the cans.

3. Items that can be put into the coffee can (i.e. hot wheel cars, candy, popcorn, and marbles)

4. Dirt

5. Coffee grounds

6. Birdseed

7. Kitty litter

Activity 1

1. Place 4 coffee cans on the table. Label the outside of the can what is inside the cans.

2. Have 4 students come up and stand behind the cans. They cannot touch the cans.

3. Tell each student what is exactly inside their can and ask them if they trust you.

4. Have the students open their cans one at a time to show that you can be trusted and what was in the can was what you said it would be. The students can keep what was in the can.

5. Put 4 new cans on the table and have 4 different students come up and stand behind the cans.

6. Follow steps 1 through 4 again.

7. Put 4 new cans on the table and have 4 different students come up and stand behind the cans.

8. This time the cans will be labeled wrong and the cans will contain dirt, coffee, birdseed and kitty littler.

9. Tell the student a lie about what is in the can and again ask them if they trust you. This time when the cans are opened by the student they will see that you lied.

10. Ask the students: Why did you trust me? What has happened to that trust?

11. Place 4 more coffee cans on the table and follow steps 1 through 3.

12. Ask the students: Can you trust me? Why not?

13. Have the students open the cans to see that you were telling the truth again.

14. Ask the students: Why does it take time to build trust again?

Follow-up

Play the song Trustworthiness. Be sure the students know the meaning of the word harmony.

Ask the students the following questions?

1. Who makes you laugh?

2. Who listens to you?

3. Who do you talk to when you have a problem?

4. Who takes you to activities and picks you up?

5. Who takes care of you when you are sick?

6. Who helps you with you school work?

Name some people that you trust in life

Why do you trust them?

Talk about how trust works both ways and ask the students if people can trust them.

Something to think about: Has there ever been a time when someone stopped trusting you? If so, think about how long it took for them to trust you again.

Play the song again and teach the students the motions for the chorus:

Students need a partner and the partners should be facing each other.

Chorus:

1. Trusting you...... Partners point to their partner.

2. Trusting me........ Partners point to themselves.

3. Trust that goes both ways....... Partners point first to partner, then to themselves, then point back to partner

4. You can always trust............... Partners shake hands (with right hands)

5. That what I say is true .............Partners shake hands (with left hands).

6. And everything I do will always be ......Partners bend slowly to the ground while giving high fives all the way down (alternating hands).

7. Built on Trusting you trusting me .......Partners come back up slowly while giving high fives all the way up.

On the verses the partners stand shoulder to shoulder and sway with the music. The partners can be arm and arm, or hold on to shoulder to shoulder or just sway without touching.

Chorus: repeat 7 steps above

Last Chorus: repeat 7 steps above but on the coda do the following:

Built on trusting you Partners point to their partner. There will be a pause before the next line.

Trusting me Partners connect at the elbow and point back to themselves.